Family Portraits

Groups have just a few seconds to make comical family tableaux.

In this game, groups create funny family portraits by striking interesting poses. Everyone gets into groups of about five or six, spread around the space. Explain that you’re going to call out the name of a type of family and each group has to create a freeze-frame of that family in just 5 seconds. They must include different age-groups (children, adults, grandparents).

Call out the name of a family from the list and count down from five to zero. Ask everybody to hold the freeze for a few moments and then invite one or two groups to show what they’ve done.

Once players understand the game, try out a few more – and make up families of your own!

Director’s Tips

• Encourage players to to create interesting stage pictures by showing contrasting characters, different expressions and varying levels (it’s amazing what you can achieve in just a few seconds).
• Ask groups to devise their own families for others to guess. They should show relationships between characters (and may include pets)!

Online Version

On Zoom (or other video-conferencing software) explain the game and ask everyone to play at once. Call out the first type of family and after a count of 5 seconds, everyone must strike a pose. Highlight some examples by asking individuals to repeat what they did. Find out if players managed to portray different family members.

Try another family type, but this time also call out a family member, such as grandparent or baby, so that everyone plays the same member of the family, for example ‘robot baby’ or ”pet spy’.

Select a group of 5 students and call out a family type for them to make at the same time (e.g. Dinosaur Family). Rinse and repeat with other groups, seeing who can make the funniest, most unusual or grotesque characters.